Basement window and ventilator



Aprrfifi W, 1951 H.'@. scH mT 253891125 BASEMENT wmnow AND VENTILATORFiled Sept. so, 1948 INVENTOR.

ArrokA/fy Patented Apr. 10, 1951 UNITED. STATES, PATENT OFFICE,

BASEMENT WINDOW AND VENTILATOR Harry 0. Schmidt, Pueblo, 0010.

Application September 30, 1948, Serial No. 52,030

4 Claims. (01. 98-37) This invention "relates to improvements in Ibasement lights and ventilators.

In many buildings and particularly in residences provided withbasements, it is customary to provide for light and ventilation by meansof small windows positioned in the basement or foundation wall below thetop thereof.

Since foundation walls usually terminate a few inches above the gradeline the major portions of the basement windows will be below the gradewhich makes it necessary to provide a sunken area about each basementwindow. The position of the window below the grade line and the sunkenarea are both highly objectionable. Such a construction, moreover,requires a window frame and a sash.

It is an object of this invention to produce a basement window andventilator that can be positioned on top of the basement wall, betweenit and the first floor and between adjacent floor joists.

Another object is to provide a basement window and ventilator that canbe positioned without cutting or forming openings in the top of thebasement wall.

Another object is to provide a basement light and ventilator that willafford better ventilation than the ordinary basement windows and whichcan be provided with closure means that can be readily operated from thebasement.

The above and other objects that may become apparent as this descriptionproceeds are attained by means of a construction and a mode of operationthat will now be described in detail, for which purpose reference willbe had to the accompanying drawing in which the invention has beenillustrated, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front end elevation looking through plane l-l, Figure 2,the screen being partly broken away;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line 2-2, Figure 1, showingthe louvers and the door in open position;

Figure 3 is a section similar to that shown in Figure 2 and shows thelouvers in closed position;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view showing the door removed and a portionbroken away to better disclose the construction; 7

Figure 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan view showing the door in closedposition; and

Figure 6 is a view'showing the device in place in a wall, the screenbeing indicated by a fragmentary portion.

In the drawing numeral l0 designates the grade line and referencenumeral II the foundation wall which has been indicated as of concretebut which may be of any other material such as stone, cinder block, orbrick. The building wall I 2 has been shown as of brick.

Floor joists l3 are supported from the top of the wall as shown inFigure 2 and are usually positioned on sixteen inch centers, but may bespaced any desired distance apart.

The invention that forms the subject of this application comprisesaprefabricated assembly comprising a tubular housing of rectangularcross section whose top has been designated by reference numeral M; thesides have been designated by reference numerals I5 and the bottom byI6. The bottom is made as long as necessary to extend across the top ofthe foundation wall and is provided at its outer and inner ends withflanges ll that lap the wall surfaces as shown. A layer of mastic I8 isprovided between the top of the wall and bottom It as shown in Figure 2.Top I 4 terminates in an inwardly and downwardly inclined end wall Mawhose inner end has a short vertical wall I9 that terminates in a flange20. Wall I9 is wide enough to cover the lath and plaster ceiling 2|.Sides l5 extend inwardly and are attached to end wall Ma as shown. Theouter ends of sides I5 and top H are flanged outwardly as shown. FlangesI1 may be formed from the sheet metal as shown or by preformed angles orin any other way. The lower edges of sides I5 are flush with the ceilingsurface. A door 22 is connected with flange H on the inner end of bottoml6 by hinges 23. Door 22 has a frame 23 about the edges of glass 24 andmay hang vertically as shown in Figure 2 or horizontally as shown inFigure 5. Suitable means such as a turnbutton 25 may be provided to holdthe door in closed position. The outer end of the tubular housing may beclosed by a coarse screen 26 to keep flies and other insects out andthis may be reenforced by spaced bars 21 (Figure 6) if desired.

It may be desirable at times to provide the device with a plurality oflouvers 28 mounted for pivotation about parallel axis 29. The louversare interconnected by a bar 30 to which an operating handle 3| isconnected. When illumination is desired, louvers 28 must be open asshown in Figure 2 and door 22 may be either open or closed. The lightWill strike the under surface of end wall Ma and be reflected downwardlyas indicated in Figure 2. The undersuriace of end wall Ma must bereflecting. It may be painted or polished or it may be covered by aglass mirror.

When the device is used for a ventilator, door 22 and louvers 28 mustboth be partly or fully open. It is evident that the ventilation may becontrolled by door 22 in the absence of louvers which, however, serve tokeep out snow, rain and dust.

Attention is called in particular to the position of the device on topof the foundation wall and between the floor joists and to the manyadvantages of this construction over the usual basement windows. Thematerial preferably employed is sheet metal but it may be made from woodor any other desirable or suitable material. The angle that end wall Mamakes with the horizon is optional.

Having described the invention what is'claimed as new is:

1. A basement light comprising an elongated tubular housing ofrectangular cross section adapted to rest in a horizontal position onthe top of a foundation wall and extend transversely thereof, the outerend terminating in an opening in a vertical plane for the admission oflight, the inner end being closed by an inwardly and downwardly inclinedmember forming a continuation of the top of the housing, the undersurface of said inclined member being reflective, that portion of thehousing underneath the inclined member being light transmitting, wherebylight entering through the housing will strike the reflecting surfaceand be directed downwardly into the basement.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 169,300 Satterlee Oct. 26, 1875496,784 Hyzer May'2, 1893 1,549,662 Fedder Aug. 11, 1925 1,674,195Droeger June 19, 1928 1,696,922 Nielsen Jan. 1, 1929 1,717,788 KurtzJune 18, 1929 1,761,250 Baltes June 3, 1930 1,907,928 Zaloudek et al.May 9, 1933 2,239,767 Anderson Apr. 29, 1941 2,471,980 Maynard et al May31, 1949 2,472,024 Olson May 31, 1949

